This invention relates to the field of computer aided design, and deals more particularly with an apparatus and method for determining the color or colors to be used with a given design.
The invention has particular utility in connection with the design of apparel fashions, and is described herein as applied to such use. However, its utility is not limited to apparel design and instead it may be used to advantage in the design of upholstery for furniture and automobiles, the design of advertising illustrations and in the creation of many other types of artistic designs. As used herein the term "fashion design" is intended to cover all such fields of possible use of the invention.
A relatively recent development in the apparel industry is that of computer aided systems for creating new apparel designs. Such a system conventionally includes a CRT or other display screen, a computer, and input devices such as a keyboard, a wiring table or a mouse, interactive with the computer and an operator and allowing the operator with the aid of the computer to create a two or three-dimensional design on the screen and to make desired instantaneous changes in the design. For example, the screen may be made to show a three-dimensional representation of a human body and the operator may then clothe such representation in different apparel fashions. The three-dimensional design can be rotated to different positions to show the selected apparel design from different angles. The operator makes changes in the design shown on the screen until an acceptable final design is arrived at, after which the system captures the design for future use. As part of this capturing process the computer may be used to generate representations of the two-dimensional pattern pieces required for making apparel reproducing the final design.
The color or colors of a fashion design are usually of considerable importance, and the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method usable with or as part of a computer aided design system for selecting and describing the colors to be used with a fashion design.
A further object of the invention is to provide a color determining apparatus and method of the foregoing character which may also directly provide a specification for dyes to be used in dying a textile to reproduce a color selected for a fashion design.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings forming a part thereof.